Adderall and Weight Training

I've been working out/going to the gym for about a year and a half. I can't say that I've been intense about it (adding weight every time, obsessively counting calories, sticking to rigorous schedules, etc), but over time I've gradually "upped my game" becoming more aware of things like nutrition and the importance of changing up routines. Recently I've found myself at a point where all the work is really showing through. I've put on quite a bit of muscle (considering the 150lb/6'2" bean pole I used to be) and achieved some nice definition. The compliments have been pouring in, and I love it!

Last week I was prescribed Adderall to treat my ADHD; a side effect of which is loss of appetite/weight loss. I should mention that the same week I began taking this medication I was taking a week off from working out - an extended rest period I take every other month or so. So I'm not working out, and five days into said week I begin taking Adderall. So when I return to the gym 2 days after beginning medication I find I've lost 4lbs. At that point I'm thinking that could easily be from the week off, so I don't sweat it much. I have a really good strength training workout (heavy weight, low rep) and leave confident that I'm on my way to winning back that weight. I came back the next day for a little cardio but an out of commission scale kept me from weighing in until the following day when I'm back for another lifting session. Two more pounds gone.

I went from a solid 177 to 171 lbs in little over a week. I want to put the breaks on this weight loss quick! I've already decided to lay off the cardio for awhile - see what happens. I'm trying to ensure I don't eat less, but this medication can really make eating a chore. It's not that I don't notice when I'm hungry; it's that foods seems so much less appealing - therefore I eat less of it. I used to sit down to a nutritious meal and scarf down every morsel eagerly. Now it's like...you know when you're sick and you don't want to eat, but you know you should so you force yourself to take a few bites? That's how I feel. I don't finish meals anymore. Some of the foods I used to rely on as part of a healthy diet are abhorrent to me now (spinach.. baked fish..) I know getting nutrients from food is the preferred way to go, but since that's now less of an option I figure adding some more supplements to my diet might help fill in some of the caloric gaps - you know, toss in another protein shake here or there, maybe a meal bar or two. What else can I do?

I was hoping to find other people who have gone through/are going through this to weigh in here (pun intended.) Anybody else out there having trouble keeping weight on with this medication? Is this maybe just an initial reaction to the medication that will level out over time? Is there anything I can do to increase my appetite? If you've found a way to work around it, what did you do? I welcome any and all feedback. Thanks for listening.

TTUbw (Guest)

Guest

August 14, 2008 3:25 PM

hadmatter-Glad you brought this up. I too am prescribed Adderall and I totally agree, it makes food much less appealing. However, it helps me to keep a cleaner, more structured diet. I just make sure I'm getting all of my meals in the adequate amounts (even if I'm not always that hungry).

On a positive note however, my training after taking adderall is insane! I get so focused the next thing I know I've been lifting for an hour with crazy intensity. Do you feel this way?

You'll begin to develop a tolerance to it and it wont have as much of an intense effect on you. I've been taking concerta (time-released ritalin) for about 19 months, and when i first started taking it it would get me so jumped up I was close to panic attacks. After a few months, I only notice when i dont take it. Although you're taking something stronger and not time-released, eventually you should get used to it and feel some of the side effects go away. I recommend speaking to your doc about long-term therapies and such so that eventually you take a smaller dose or not take it at all.

Most Adderall (if not all of it) prescribed now is the extended release type, so you'll be exposed to the stimulant effect through most of the day. Eat a big breakfast in the morning BEFORE you take your pill. That will help get the calories into your body before you start not wanting to eat. Eat calorie dense foods as well, that way you aren't eating "a lot" but you're still getting the calories.

I agree with gtbrown. Make your first few meals a little larger. Also, add more calorie/nutrient dense foods such as almonds/pb into your meals. I'm on time released Adderrall and by the end of the day my appetite is booming again.

Deadboy - I agree. You definitely develop a tolerance throughout the week and the effects are less noticeable. Hadmat - If you take a day or two off you will lose some of the tolerance you've developed. I usually take the weekends off or I'll take the day that I carb up(re-feed) off so I'll have plenty of appetite.

I take both Concerta and Ritalin for my ADHD, and I'll echo what most others have said; the effects will wane as you begin to build a tolerance... While you want to make sure that it is still helping with your ADHD symptoms, it shouldn't be interfering with your appetite in the long term. I do notice that when I take my Ritalin I have less of an appetite, but I'm sure that's due to the immediate stimulant effects of it...

Wow! Cool. Sorry I didn't get back sooner, but I crashed hard after work last night. Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I feel much more at ease knowing the side effects will level out a bit.

You know, T, my usual workout time falls several hours after my dose. But even so I've noticed that I've been more focused on my form, and my movements have been more...deliberate - slower and controlled. Hadn't really considered it until now, but maybe I'll have to get a workout in closer to my dosing time; see what it's like. This stuff is dragging me down on the nutrition side, so it seems only fair to try utilizing it to bolster up another area. Has a nice balanced ring to it.

I'm not taking time release pills. I don't have insurance, so anything without generic versions is off the table. Especially considering even the generic form of my prescription was pretty expensive!! I can only imagine how high name brands run.

I appreciate the suggestions for tweaking my diet. I don't really know anything about calorie dense foods, but then again I didn't know what 'evoo' meant a few minutes ago, either. I'll have to research that a bit. I've considered the big breakfast approach, and all I can say is I'm working on it. Unfortunately, I have a built in aversion to breakfast. I used to skip it all together. Then when I started getting more serious about working out I started making sure I at least ate something: usually three egg scrambles with various cheeses and veggies, or a couple bowls of cereal when I get sick of eggs [always.] Like I said, I'm trying to build on it: add some toast, drink milk or juice versus water. My roommate discovered turkey bacon, and it's delicious, so I'm going to start tacking that on regularly. Also, I'll follow up with a smoothie a few hours later. ... It's a work in progress. I know eggs a really good for you, so it's lucky that I eat them before taking the meds. I don't think I could stomach eggs with the Adderall in effect.

You're probably right about the scale watching, and I'm going to try to ease off. But I'm still curious, has anyone felt the need to adjust their routines in some way? Specifically I'm thinking about cardio - cutting down or stopping all together. But if you have any other changes you ended up making, I'd love to hear about them. Perhaps there are things you tried that were a dead end; pitfalls to avoid. I know, I know...everyone's body is different and I'll have to decide for myself. I just wanted to get a feel for any common changes people made; or possible solutions to shared problems. Or maybe you found you were able to keep your workout as is without any problems??